Part of the fun of watching a horror movie is seeing what other fans have to say about it, along with how critics have responded. While sometimes everyone agrees that a film is top-notch or disappointing, there are some films that are divisive. Generally, if a movie has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 0%, that means that the film doesn't have much to write home about, from poorly drawn characters to a dull setting to a plot that meanders and doesn't go anywhere.
There is one horror movie that has this low rating on Rotten Tomatoes that might actually be pretty good. It was released in 2019 and has a solid story, characters, and an ending that wraps everything up well.
The Gallows: Act 2 has a rare 0% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and there is another film that does as well: Polaroid has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and no Audience Score. The movie stars Kathryn Prescott as Bird Fitcher, a teenage girl who finds a camera that seems to have supernatural powers. The premise is a bit corny and might sound like an episode of Goosebumps, but some Goosebumps episodes are scary, and a lot of Polaroid is creepy, too, with images that are haunting.
While Polaroid has such a low score, it's far from the worst teen horror movie. In fact, there's a lot that works here, suggesting that this is a fun film to watch if horror fans are looking for a good story, solid characters, and a mystery that needs to be solved. The film was released in 2019 and is based on the short film from 2015. The film grosesd $1,772,204 at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
The movie has a great opening scene that is just as good as any teen horror movie. Linda (Erika Prevost) and Sarah (Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch) are looking at some things that Sarah's mother, who passed away, left behind. They see a Polaroid camera and after Sarah snaps a photo and Linda goes home, Sarah finds a shadow in the photograph. When she goes up to the attic to see why she heard a strange noise, she falls, and a mysterious figure pulls her back up to the attic and murders her. Audiences then see her body falling onto the floor. This is powerful and scary, making it clear that something is wrong with this camera and hopefully someone can figure it out before it hurts more people.
The entity is the villain in the movie and while there are many silly horror movie villains, this figure is pretty scary. The entity acts just like a photo, which is an interesting concept. Bird is also a solid horror movie main character because she investigates and actually gets answers. Bird meets Lena Sable (Grace Zabriskie), whose daughter once owned the camera, and learns that she had a tragic life and that after her death, it seems like something sinister was transferred onto the camera. This allows Bird to use her inner strength to save herself. While it's often possible to find something lacking in a horror movie's plot, as audiences always want more explanation and detail, audiences are definitely given enough answers here.
Lars Klevberg, the director, told ihorror.com in an interview that Bird is a great character. The director said, "Bird is a very lovable protagonist. It was important for us to have a protagonist who presented this empathic and non egoistic human being without feeling forced, because she is the opposite of what the film is about. Having a protagonist with a back-story and multiple layers is something I always find interesting. Bird’s emotional back-story and personal interest is a big part of how she is capable of overcoming her biggest fear to date. The character is beautifully portrayed by Kathryn."
Kathryn Prescott's performance powers Polaroid and makes it a compelling movie. It's surprising that the film has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as it's a film that is worth watching. Bird gets a satisfying horror movie ending as she figures out how to save herself from the evil entity that is part of this camera. Bird also has a backstory that is sad and explains why she has kept to herself for so long: when she was younger, she was in a car accident with her dad, and her dad passed away as a result. Bird has a scar that is a painful reminder of the parent that she loved and then tragically lost.
While there are some horror films that live up to their 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's too bad that Polaroid isn't rated higher. There is a lot to enjoy about this 2019 teen horror movie.